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In Vitro Fermentation Response of Laying Hen Cecal Bacteria to Combinations of Fructooligosaccharide Prebiotics with Alfalfa or a Layer Ration

L. M. Donalson^*,1, W. K. Kim^*,2, V. I. Chalova^*,3, P. Herrera^*,3, J. L. McReynolds^,4, V. G. Gotcheva, D. Vidanovi, C. L. Woodward^*, L. F. Kubena, D. J. Nisbet and S. C. Ricke^*,3

^* Department of Poultry Science, Texas A&M University, College Station 77843-2472; USDA-ARS, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, Food and Feed Safety Research Unit, College Station, TX 77845; Department of Biotechnology, University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv 4002, Bulgaria; and Department of Food Hygiene and Technology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Belgrade University, 11000, Serbia

⁴ Corresponding author: mcreynolds{at}ffsru.usda.gov

The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effects of combining a prebiotic with alfalfa on fermentation by laying hen cecal bacteria. Cecal contents from laying hens were diluted to a 1:3,000 concentration with an anaerobic dilution solution and added to serum tubes filled with ground alfalfa or a layer ration with or without fructooligosaccharide (FOS) prebiotic. Samples were processed in an anaerobic hood, pressurized by using a pressure manifold, and incubated at 37°C. Volatile fatty acid (VFA) and lactic acid concentrations were quantified at 6 and 24 h of substrate fermentation. In this study, fermentation of alfalfa resulted in greater production of acetate, VFA, and lactic acid compared with the layer ration. Although with a relative inconsistency in data between trials, the amendment of FOS to both alfalfa and the layer ration appeared to further increase fermentation as demonstrated by overall higher propionate, butyrate, VFA, and lactic acid concentrations. The effect was more pronounced after 24 h of fermentation, implying time constraints for the optimal production of fermentation products in the chicken gastrointestinal tract. These data indicate that in vitro cecal fermentation can be enhanced by the addition of FOS.

Key Words: alfalfa • fermentation • fructooligosaccharide • laying hen

¹ Current address: Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, TX 78245.

² Current address: Department of Cardiology, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095.

³ Current address: Center for Food Safety, IFSE, and Department of Food Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72704.